Effect of the Textured Surface on the Structural Behavior of a Plain Bearing

Abstract

An elastohydrodynamic model is applied in this work to study the influence of surface texturing on the structural performance of a coated aerodynamic plain bearing and a coated hydrodynamic plain bearing. Shaft rotational speed and radial load are digitally optimized to improve plain bearing performance, such as pressure, bearing inner face displacement, and shear stresses. Results are presented for different operating conditions. This research is carried out in order to predict the elastic behavior of a coated hydrodynamic plain bearing as well as a coated aerodynamic plain bearing at textured surface compared at a non-textured surface, operating at very high speeds. This study is a numerical investigation using a CFD code, by solving the Navier-Stokes equations of motion by the finite volume method and the displacement equations using the finite element method.